"Waterbending bomb!" Katara shouted. The twins looked up and saw their Water Tribe companion leap down. As she plummeted towards the pool, she curled herself into a ball, and as she landed, she created a massive plume of water that shot into the air and rained down onto them all. Everyone else laughed, and the twins exchanged a neutral glance. They then shook their heads in an attempt to get water out of their hair.
"Sure, 5 000 year old maps from the Spirit Library. Just splash some water on 'em" Sokka said sarcastically, trying to gently dry the ancient pieces of paper.
"Sorry" Katara apologized as she wrung water out of her hair. She then used her Bending in order to extract the water from the map, leaving it dry.
As the group gathered around the map, Aang asked "Did you figure out what route we're gonna take?" The twins cast surreptitious glances at the Airbender; ever since his emotional breakdown back in the desert, he appeared to have calmed down. Still, ever since beholding the awesome display of his power, the Earthbending boys were a little wary.
"Okay", Sokka said, drawing the twins' gazes to the map, "we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here. We need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called "The Serpent's Pass".
"You're sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked.
"It's the only way" Sokka replied. "It's not like we have Appa to fly us there".
The twins' eyes widened in fear, and they glanced warily at Aang as Katara whispered "Shush up about Appa. Can't you at least try to be sensitive?"
"Katara, it's okay" Aang said as everyone's gazes fell on him. "I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse".
The twins blinked several times, not quite believing that the Airbender could be so calm. "Oh" Katara said. "Well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better".
"Then to Ba Sing Se we go" Sokka declared as he rolled up the maps. "No more distractions".
"Hello there, fellow refugees!" a voice called. Jin and Li flinched, afraid that they had run into people like Chong and the singing nomads. Fortunately, these people looked to be completely normal. There was a man and two women, one of which was pregnant.
"So are you guys headed to Ba Sing Se too?" Aang asked.
"Sure are" the man replied. "We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby".
"Great" Katara replied. "We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together".
The three refugees looked like they had just seen a ghost. "The Serpent's Pass?" Ying asked incredulously. "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route".
Jin and Li exchanged a glance as Toph said "Deadly route". She then punched Sokka on the arm. "Great pick, Sokka!"
"Well, we are desperate" Sokka said as he rubbed his arm.
"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay" the man said. "Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se".
"And it's hidden" Ying added. "The Fire Nation can't find it".
Katara held her chin in thought. "Hmm, peaceful ferry ride or deadly pass?" Sokka silently glared at her, and the group was soon on their way. After traveling for some time, they came to a rock wall where two guards stood. Once they were certain that they weren't Fire Nation, the guards used their Bending in order to lower a section of wall. After traveling through a tunnel, the opposite wall slid down, revealing the secret harbour.
It was a gargantuan cavern that opened up at the far side, allowing the ferries to pass through. Hundreds and hundreds of refugees were crowded all around, and Katara said "I can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation".
"We're all looking for a better life" the man replied. "Safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se". Jin and Li gazed out at the throng of people, the prospect of returning to the city of their birth looming over them.
I walked up to the rail of the ferry as it began its journey to the great Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. The sun was shining down on us, and I gazed out at the crystal clear water. "Who would have thought, after all these years", Iroh began thoughtfully, "I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace?" He then turned to me and Zuko with a wide grin as he put on a straw hat. "As a tourist!"
Zuko scowled. "Look around. We're not tourists; we're refugees". He took a sip from a bowl, and proceeded to spit it out in disgust. "I'm sick of eating rotten food and sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this".
I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned. Zuko was back to his typical childish rants; at some point, he was going to have to accept his new life.
"Aren't we all?" a voice asked from nearby. We turned to see a young man, probably around Zuko's age, with a head of scruffy black hair. He was chewing on a piece of wheat, and he said "My name's Jet, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot".
"Hey" the smaller one, who I took to be Smellerbee, said, and the other young man with the quiver on his back merely nodded his head. Despite their youth, I could sense that they had seen much fighting, and they had a general aura of warriors who wanted to put their pasts behind them.
"Hello" Zuko said, turning back to the water.
"Here's the deal" Jet said. "I hear the captain's eating like a king while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem right, does it?"
I walked over beside Iroh, who asked "What sort of king is he eating like?"
"The fat, happy kind" Jet replied bluntly. Mine and Iroh's mouth fell open, and our stomachs rumbled their desire for that kind of lifestyle. "You want to help us 'liberate' some food?"
I glanced at Zuko, who was looking down at his bowl. He threw it over the railing before turning to look at Jet. "I'm in".
"I told you already", the woman behind the counter barked, "no vegetables on the ferry! One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se! Security!" The twins watched as a man holding the leash of a large platypus bear walk over to the cart of cabbage. The bear reared back on its hind legs before using its front legs to crush the cart.
The merchant gripped his head. "Dah! My cabbages!" They watched as he was carried away by security.
"Next!" the woman barked.
Jin and Li stepped back before shoving Aang ahead, not wanting to face the wrath of the woman who stamped the tickets. "Um, four tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please".
"Passport" the woman said, not even looking down at him.
"Uh, no one told us we had to have passports" Aang meekly replied.
"Don't you know who this is?" Sokka asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on Aang's back. "He's the Avatar!"
The woman scoffed. "I see fifty Avatars a day, and by the way, not a very impressive costume". She pointed to her left, and the twins turned to see a group of people dressed like Aang, with varying levels of props, make-up, and success. "Besides, no animals allowed! Do I need to call security?"
The platypus bear, almost as if on cue, crushed a head of cabbage with its bill, and Aang replied "That won't be necessary".
"Next!" the woman barked, and the twins involuntarily flinched.
Toph then shoved her way past them, saying "I'll take care of this". She proceeded to take out a slip of paper from her sleeve and hand it to the woman behind the counter. "My name is Toph Beifong, and I'll need six tickets".
The woman's eyes gleamed in awe. "Oh! The golden seal of the flying boar! It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family".
"It is your pleasure" Toph said, and the twins exchanged a smirk. "As you can see, I am blind and these five imbeciles are my valets". Jin and Li grinned up at the woman as she appraised them and the others.
"But the animal…" the woman started to say.
"Is my seeing-eye lemur" Toph cut her off. Momo then hopped up onto her shoulder, chattering away as he gazed up at the counter.
"Well, normally, it's only one ticket per passport, but this document is so official, I guess it's worth six tickets". She then stamped six slips of paper.
"Thank you very much" Toph said, taking the tickets.
She handed them out, and once the group had walked far enough away, Sokka said "Alright, we scammed that lady good!" Suddenly, he was yanked back by a security officer, and the twins exchanged a nervous glance. They always suspected that the Water Tribe boy's big mouth would get them in trouble, and today appeared to be that day.
"Tickets and passports, please" the security officer said. She appeared to be somewhere around Sokka's age, but that didn't take away from her fearsome persona.
"Is there a problem?" Sokka asked nervously.
"Yeah, I got a problem with you" the girl said. "I've seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar".
Sokka's eyes narrowed. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"You mean you don't remember?" the girl asked, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Maybe you remember this". She then kissed him on the cheek, and Jin and Li blinked several times in order to ensure that they hadn't been seeing things.
Sokka clearly remembered her, and he said "Suki!"
The two of them then embraced in a tight hug, and Jin scratched his head. He glanced over at his brother, and the two of them shrugged.
"Sokka, it's good to see you" Suki replied. She then invited the group up onto the wall, where they could have a private conversation. The twins kept a wary eye on her; there was something familiar about her, something that they couldn't think of.
It came to them a moment later.
"You look so different without your makeup" Katara said. "And the new outfit".
"That crabby lady makes all the security guards wear them" Suki explained. "And look at you, sleeveless guy. Been workin out?"
The twins followed her gaze to Sokka, who puffed out his chest as he replied nonchalantly "Eh, I'll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then. Nothing major".
"Are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?" Aang asked. Suddenly, the twins remembered where they had seen her before: Kyoshi Island, where they and their father had taken Takara as part of their hunt for the Avatar. They silently manoeuvred themselves behind Toph and Katara, hoping that Suki wouldn't recognize them.
"After you left Kyoshi, we wanted to find a way to help people" Suki replied. "We ended up escorting some refugees and we've been here ever since. Unfortunately, not all of us made it here".
"What happened?" Katara asked.
"Shortly after you guys left, one of our fellow warriors, Takara, was taken by Firebenders" Suki replied, and the twins exchanged a worried glance.
"Was it Zuko?" Aang asked.
Suki shook her head. "No, he followed you after you left. Another Fire Nation ship came afterwards. Not a whole group of soldiers; just a very powerful Firebender who used blue flames and twin boys who could Earthbend". The others turned to the twins in surprise, but Suki was still gazing out at the throngs of refugees below. "We were taken completely by surprise, and he said that he was following you, Aang. Takara volunteered to go with him after he burned down a few buildings, and we haven't seen or heard from her since".
"Why didn't you guys ever tell us?" Aang asked, and the twins panicked upon realizing that he was talking to them.
The question drew Suki's gaze, and she stared at the twins for a moment before her eyes widened with shock. "You two!" she cried. "You were the ones who took her! Where is she? What did you do to Takara?" As she spoke, she advanced menacingly towards the twins, who backed up against the opposite wall.
Sokka and Katara stopped her, and the Water Tribe girl said "Suki, it's okay! They had no choice; they were prisoners of the Firebender you fought. His name is Shan We, and he took them from their home when they were little. They were his prisoners".
"They didn't look like prisoners!" Suki accused, and Jin and Li looked down at the ground with shame. "Where is Takara?"
Jin glanced around their surroundings before crouching down and writing on the ground. Aang walked over and craned his neck a little. "He says that Takara was with them until the North Pole. After that, they got separated, and the last they saw of her was with Zuko's sister when we fought her at that abandoned town".
Suki lost all her aggression in that moment. "So she's still out there?"
Jin and Li nodded as Sokka said "Well, she was fighting with that crazy Fire Nation Princess, so I wouldn't count my blessings just yet".
It was Li's turn to crouch down and write. Aang then read aloud "They say that Takara would never work with Azula willingly. The Princess is a master manipulator, so she's probably being forced to serve her".
Suki sighed. "Oyaji will be so pleased that she's still out there" she said, walking back to the edge of the wall.
"He cares that much about his warriors?" Katara asked.
Suki shook her head. "Takara is his daughter. He initially wouldn't let her become a Kyoshi Warrior after her mother died, but she managed to convince him. She was the oldest of us, and yet she lacked faith in herself. Despite that, she's the bravest person I have ever known. She'll always do what she thinks is right".
Aang suddenly said "Hey, I think I remember her! Back when we were at Omashu, there was a woman who pointed out a Firebender to the guards". Turning to the twins, he said "You guys were there, too".
The Earthbending boys nodded, and Suki smiled. "That sounds like something she'd do: point this 'Shan We' in your direction, then break out and foil his plans. I'm just glad she's still alive".
"Unfortunately, we have no idea where she is" Katara said.
"Like I said: she's the bravest person I've ever known. I have a feeling she'll make it". The twins exchanged a wary glance before easing their tense muscles, and Suki asked "So why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry? Wouldn't you just fly across on Appa?"
This time, it was Aang's turn to scowl, and Katara replied "Appa is missing. We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se".
"I'm so sorry to hear that" Suki told the Airbender. "Are you doing okay?"
Aang turned to look at everyone, and after a moment, he answered curtly "I'm doing fine. Would everybody stop worrying about me?"
"Avatar Aang!" Ying's voice called. Everyone looked down at her, and she said "You have to help us! Someone took all of our belongings! Our passports, our tickets; everything's gone". She then broke down in tears, and the twins exchanged a serious glance. Even when people were at their lowest, some were willing to take what little they had.
"I'll talk to the lady for you" Aang replied. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
"No passports, no tickets!" the lady barked, and the twins involuntarily flinched at the harshness of her voice.
"But she's pregnant" Aang pleaded. "And all their stuff was stolen. You have to make an exception!"
"No exceptions! If I just gave away tickets willy-nilly to anyone, there would be no more order. And you know what that means… no more civilization!"
"What if we gave them our tickets?" Aang suggested.
"No".
"But…"
"Next!" the woman barked, her vicious tone leaving no room for debate.
Aang then walked back over to Ying and her husband. "Don't worry" he assured them. "You'll get to the city safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass".
Jin and Li exchanged shocked glances. A few moments later, the group started making their way out of the giant cavern. Sokka said "I can't believe we gave up our tickets, and now we're going through the Serpent's Pass".
"I can't believe you're still complaining about it" Toph said.
"I'm coming, too!" Suki cried from behind them. The twins turned to see her dressed in her Kyoshi Warrior garb, and they flinched, memories of their battle coming back to them.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sokka asked.
"Sokka, I thought you'd want me to come" Suki replied.
"I do, it's just…"
"Just what?" Suki demanded.
"Nothing" Sokka said after a moment. "I'm glad you're coming". Jin and Li narrowed their eyes, suspecting that there was something the Water Tribe boy wasn't telling his girlfriend. Eventually, the group made it to the ominous Serpent's Pass, which consisted of a thin stretch of land that bisected the massive lake near Ba Sing Se. "This is the Serpent's Pass?" Sokka asked. "I thought it would be more windy, you know, like a serpent. Hmm, I guess they misnamed it".
"Look at this writing" Ying said, pointing to some carved words on one of the pillars. "How awful".
"What does it say?" Toph asked.
Katara leaned in close. "It says 'abandon hope'".
"How could we abandon hope?" Ying asked. She pressed her head against her husband's shoulder and said "It's all we have".
"I don't know" Aang said. "The monks used to say that hope is just a distraction, so maybe we do need to abandon it".
Jin and Li exchanged questioning glances as Katara asked "What are you talking about?"
"Hope isn't going to get us into Ba Sing Se and it's not gonna find Appa" Aang explained evenly. "We need to focus on what we're doing right now, and that's getting across this pass".
After a moment, Katara replied "Okay, if you say so".
The group proceeded to make its way across the Serpent's Pass, keeping a weather eye out for any dangers. Any obstacles were quickly remedied by the twins and Toph, but those were rare. The path was fairly straight-forward, and the only issue was the long amount of time it would take in order to cross on foot.
"The Fire Nation controls the Western Lake" Suki explained as they walked along. "Rumour has it, they're working on something big on the other side and they don't want anyone to find out what it is".
The twins glanced to their left, and saw a Fire Navy Cruiser patrolling the waters of the lake off in the distance. Hopefully, they would be able to avoid any sort of attack. Suddenly, Ying's husband slipped and fell off the edge, and Toph quickly summoned a rock platform that caught him. It then launched him back onto the path, and he was unharmed.
Unfortunately, the Fire Navy ship opened fire. "They spotted us!" Sokka cried as a fireball shot towards them. "Let's go, let's go!" Aang leaped into the air towards the fireball, using his staff to create a gust of wind that blew the flaming projectile back at the ship. It soon reached its target, and the rear of the ship exploded as another fireball was shot towards them.
It impacted the rock above them, creating a rockslide. Sokka pushed Suki out of the way, and just as the rocks would have crushed him, Jin created a slanted piece of rock above him. The rockslide fell harmlessly down towards the water, and the Water Tribe boy cried "Suki, are you okay? You have to be more careful! Come on".
Toph then wrapped an arm around Jin and Li's shoulders. "'Thanks for saving my life guys'" she said sarcastically in her best Sokka impression. "Some people are just so ungrateful". The twins smiled at that, and the three of them proceeded to run after the others.
As the sun started to set, everyone started making camp. Toph and the twins were perfectly happy with sleeping in earthen tents, while the others brought out bedrolls. "Suki, you shouldn't sleep there" Sokka said. "Who knows how stable this ledge is? It could give way at any moment".
The twins rolled their eyes as Suki replied "Sokka, I'm fine, stop worrying".
"You're right, you're right, you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself". Just when it seemed that he was done, he suddenly cried "Wait! Oh, never mind, I thought I saw a spider, but you're fine".
I accepted the bowl of delicious-smelling food from Jet, who proceeded to hand out food to the other refugees on the ferry. He and Zuko had returned from their little 'extraction' bearing bags full of food from the captain's galley, and while I could have protested, my stomach was rumbling too much.
As I tore into the bowl of rice, Iroh asked one of Jet's companions "So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man".
"Maybe it's because I'm not a man" Smellerbee retorted. "I'm a girl!"
I almost choked on a mouthful of rice, and as I started pounding on my chest, Iroh said "Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!"
She walked off to speak with Longshot, and as Iroh, Zuko and I ate our meal, Jet walked up and said "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall".
"It is a magnificent sight" Iroh said.
"So you've been there before?" Jet asked.
Iroh's eyes widened a little, but before he could say anything, I said "Once, when my father and I were… different men".
Jet nodded. "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning, a second chance".
"That's very noble of you" Iroh said. "I believe people can change their lives, if they want to. I believe in second chances". I cast a surreptitious glance over at him, and could see that his eyes were on Zuko. The scarred teenager still held out hope that he could return to the royal life he'd left behind, but that was gone. He wouldn't be able to return to the way things were, and he would have to accept a new life. I doubted if he ever would.
Jin and Li sighed as the group came to a portion of the pass that had sunk beneath the water. The other side was at least several hundred feet away, and the Earthbending boys weren't thrilled with the idea of swimming across.
"Everyone, single file" Katara ordered. The others did so, and the Waterbender proceeded to part some of the water. As the group started walking, they came to see that she was forming a bubble of air large enough to encompass them all and allow them to walk across the bottom. "Aang, I need help".
The Airbender handed Toph his staff before he picked up the slack at the other end. Soon, they were walking across the bottom of the lake. Suddenly, a massive dark shape swam past, and the twins tensed, expecting a battle.
"What is that thing?" Katara asked. Something green and scaly then burst through the air bubble, causing water to rush in all around them. Jin and Li thought that they were going to drown, until Toph raised them all up on the earth they were standing on.
They were soon back on the surface, and the twins caught sight of something circling them. The creature then burst from the water, and they could see that it was some kind of massive serpent. It screeched at them threateningly, and Sokka pointed and said "I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass". He then turned to his girlfriend and said "Suki, you know about giant sea monsters, make it go away!"
"Just because I live near the Unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!" Suki countered.
Sokka then picked up Momo and held the lemur towards the beast. "Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering. Thank you".
"Sokka!" Katara chided. The serpent then lunged for them, but Aang blew it back with a gust of air.
"I'll distract it. Katara, get everyone across". He then flew up on his glider to engage the beast, and Katara proceeded to create an ice walkway all the way to the other side of the pass. Everyone quickly made their way across, but the twins noticed that Toph wasn't moving. Jin made a motion towards the other side, but the blind girl shook her head.
"I'm staying on my little island where I can see!" she said, and the twins glanced back at the sea serpent. Their eyes widened before they ran onto the ice, pulling Toph along with them. They barely avoided the serpent's scaled body as it crashed into the rock island. Jin and Li held both of Toph's hands, guiding her along as they went.
"You're doing great!" Sokka called. "Now, if you could just move a little faster, that would be even better!"
Suddenly, the serpent crashed into the ice walkway, shattering it and causing the three Earthbenders to fall into the water. "Help!" Toph cried in distress. "I can't swim!" Jin and Li reacted instantly, swimming towards the blind girl. Just as she went under, Jin dived down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to the surface. "Oh, Sokka, you saved me!" Toph said. Jin clenched his teeth in annoyance, but his frustration instantly disappeared as the blind girl kissed him on the cheek.
The Earthbending boy instantly blushed. Looking over at his brother, he could see that Li was glaring at him.
"Hello?" Toph asked after a moment. "Oh, it's you guys, isn't it? Well, you can go ahead and let me drown now". Jin rolled his eyes before he and Li helped bring Toph back onto land. Aang and Katara rejoined them soon after, having defeated the sea serpent, and the others were cheering. They resumed walking, and Jin silently glared at the back of Sokka's head. Making a motion of opening a closed fist, he discreetly used his Bending in order to create a small crater on the ground.
Sokka stepped into the crater just as it formed, and the result was him falling flat on his face. Suki and a few of the others glanced backwards, and Jin nonchalantly inspected his fingernails. Once Sokka was back on his feet, the twins exchanged a devious smirk. "There's the wall!" the Water Tribe boy cried.
They all looked ahead, and saw a massive wall stretching as far as the eye could see across the horizon.
"Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se". Just as he finished saying that, Ying suddenly grunted in pain. Everyone turned to look at her, and her face was contorted into an expression of holding pain at bay. "What's wrong?"
"The baby's coming!" she replied, and the twins exchanged shocked glances.
"What, now?" Sokka asked. "Can't you hold it in or something?"
"Sokka, calm down" Katara told him. "I helped Gran Gran deliver lots of babies back home". At least they would have someone with experience helping with the birth.
"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal!" Sokka countered. "This is a real… human… thing!"
"It's called a baby" Katara said evenly. "And I helped to deliver plenty of those, too. Aang, get some rags. Sokka, water. Toph, I need you to make an earth tent. A big one". The blind girl proceeded to summon large slabs of rock to create a large space up against a rock wall. It would still be some time before they arrived at Ba Sing Se.
A few hours later, the twins could hear the shrill cries of a newborn baby. They were waiting outside the earthen tent along with Aang, Toph, and Sokka. The blind girl turned to the Water Tribe boy. "So, you want to go see the baby, or are you going to faint like an old lady again?"
The twins smirked as Sokka replied "No, no, I'm good this time". Jin and Li then stood up and followed the others into the tent. Ying was lying on some bunched up blankets, and she looked no worse for wear. In her arms, she cradled a tiny little infant with a head of black hair.
"She sounds healthy" Toph said, and the twins nodded in agreement.
"She's beautiful" Katara said.
"It's so… squishy-looking" Sokka commented. The baby still had a little bit of red guck on it, but other than that, it was a perfectly normal-looking baby.
"What should we name her?" Ying's husband asked.
"I want our daughter's name to be unique" she replied. "I want it to mean something".
Aang wiped some tears from his face before saying "I've been going through a really hard time lately, but you've made me hopeful again".
Ying's face lit up with inspiration. She turned to her husband and said "I know what I want to name our baby, now: Hope".
"That's a perfect name" he said. "Hope".
A short time later, they were prepared to move out. As the group came together, Aang said "I promise I'll find Appa as fast as I can. I just really need to do this".
"See you in the big city" Sokka said.
"Say hi to that big fuzzball for me" Toph added, punching him in the shoulder. Jin and Li smiled encouragingly at the Airbender, nodding to him.
Katara then walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll find him, Aang".
"I know" the bald boy replied. "Thank you, Katara". With that, he launched himself into the air on his glider, flying towards the mighty Earth Kingdom capital.
Well, we're finally at Ba Sing Se! That's certainly going to be an adventure.
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